


Mud Monsters

by ATTHS_TWICE



Series: Family Life: The Story Beyond the Series [39]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Dancing in the Rain, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Happy, Love, Mud, Post-Episode: s11e10 My Struggle IV, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25845667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ATTHS_TWICE/pseuds/ATTHS_TWICE
Summary: Two years into the future, we find a precocious little girl patiently waiting for it to rain so she can use her new rain boots and jump in as many mud puddles as possible. ❤️
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: Family Life: The Story Beyond the Series [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1407691
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	Mud Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> During quarantine, I was home for two months. I thought I would get so much writing done, as I had literally nothing else to do. 
> 
> Well... plans don’t always go the way we want and soon I was simply watching videos on Facebook every day. I happened to see one and then saw it again recently and I loved it. 
> 
> It was of a little girl jumping in puddles and then asking her dad to join her. He jumped in happily, bouncing around her, and as cute as it is on its own, as a fic writer, all I could see was Mulder doing the same. 
> 
> Jumping in puddles, building forts, telling tall tales... yeah, he would be into all of it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this fun little story.

_July 2022_

“Doctor Scully? Did we lose you?” 

“I’m sorry. No, I’m here,” Scully said, mentally shaking herself from her thoughts and looking at the computer. “Actually, I think it did cut out on my end. Could you repeat the last thing that was said?” She smiled kindly, knowing full well it was a lie, but knowing that the others on the teleconference call did not. 

Paying better attention this time as Doctor Snyder began to speak again, she still found her mind drifting away, as she wondered how Mulder and Faith were getting along. If they had found enough mud puddles for Faith, who had been so excited to jump in them. 

She had new rain boots she had been dying to try out. Her old ones were “too pinchy on my toes, Mama,” something Scully had learned only when they had seen the current pair in a shop window and Faith had said how much she loved them. 

Scully was sure she was not being _completely_ honest and simply wanted the boots because they were cute and had planets, spaceships, and rockets on them, and also had sky blue rubber soles. 

“Just like my raincoat, Mama! It’s my favoritest color. Look how pretty they are,” Faith had said excitedly, looking up at Scully with her blue eyes shining. 

With a smile, they had walked into the shop, inquiring if they had a pair in her size. Seeing the true happiness the rain boots brought her, as she had walked around the store, Scully had smiled and nodded. What was twenty five dollars, really, in the grand scheme of things? She had remembered the feeling of wanting something as a child and knowing the probability of getting it was slim, so the boots had been purchased and carried home in a big rainbow colored bag. 

Faith had been so pleased with them, she wore them inside incessantly, even going so far as to sleep with them on the floor beside her bed. Every morning she had woken up, hoping it had rained overnight, but it had been dry recently, with no puddles to jump in, something she dearly loved to do. 

She had taken to sitting on the porch, Bella beside her as she stared at the sky, waiting for clouds to appear, and sighing as she shook her head when they did not. 

“Is it going to rain soon?” she had asked at night when they tucked her in and kissed her goodnight, looking longingly at her boots. “Can you check your phone and see if it says it will?” 

“I can, but you know it’s not always correct,” Mulder had told her. 

“I know, Daddy,” she said as she sighed deeply and nodded. 

“God,” Mulder had said quietly when they left her room. “I feel like letting the hose run to create some puddles for her, the poor kid.” 

“Mulder,” Scully had said, shaking her head with a smile. “She needs to just wait. It will rain soon. It’s only been a few days now.” 

“But those sighs, Scully,” he had said with a sigh of his own as he shook his head. “It’s like they come from the depths of her soul.” 

“Mulder,” she had said with a soft chuckle, putting her hands on his chest, holding onto his shirt, and pulling gently to bring his lips down to hers. “She’ll be okay.” Kissing him again, he sighed against her lips and she smiled. 

Another day had gone by with no rain and Mulder looked at Scully, shaking his head as they left Faith’s bedroom. She had seemed near tears tonight and Scully knew how much it hurt Mulder to see her upset. 

“I know you want to give her everything she wants, and you want her to have a belief in the fantastic and love of nature,” Scully had said, touching his arms and smiling. “But, think about it, wouldn’t you rather it be _real?_ ” 

“Like Santa?” he had asked sarcastically, raising his eyebrows at her.

“And whose idea was it to tell her about _him_?” she had asked pointedly, raising her eyebrows back at him. He stared at her before sighing and nodding. “Mulder, it will rain. You _both_ just have to be patient.” She smiled and gripped his upper arms, her thumbs rubbing gently. 

“It’s just so _hard,_ ” he had groaned with a frown and she chuckled softly. He had smiled and she shook her head, letting go of his arms and turning to go downstairs. 

“Maybe if you wish _really_ hard, it will come true,” she had said and he hummed, following her down the stairs. 

“You want to watch a movie? _Rain Man_ maybe?” he had teased and she laughed. 

“I have that call tomorrow, I need to go over my notes again, but maybe in a bit we could watch something, but _not Rain Man._ ” She had smiled at him and he nodded with a smile of his own, as she disappeared into what was now _her_ office. 

In the last year, it had been converted into a workspace for her, allowing her to work from home some days, when a simple conference call was more than sufficient. They had tackled it one week, standing and staring at the room with heavy sighs, knowing what a large task it would be. 

Papers, books, photos, videotapes… things that no longer meant everything to Mulder, had either been placed in plastic bins or thrown out. They had laughed over some of it and kept quiet over others, his hand grazing hers as he walked by, the past alive, but not needing to be spoken of again. 

When it had been cleaned, everything was moved out and the walls were repainted a sage green, except for one that was painted with black chalkboard paint. That wall was left empty of any furniture so Faith could draw on it to her heart's content. 

She drew rainbows, butterflies, clouds, animals, the letters and numbers she knew, and stick figures of them as a family; including Bella, Grey, and the fish. Mulder had drawn pictures as well, telling her stories as she had sat riveted in the old overstuffed chair, as Scully smiled as she had typed away at the computer, researching information for a patient. 

The room still held books and photos, but now the… less mainstream ones… were on the bottom shelves, out of view of the webcam's vision. Medical journals, and children’s books were on the higher shelves along with photos and knickknacks they had collected over the years. 

Her desk was clear of any clutter, and while the bottom drawer still held Mulder’s most important papers, it had all been organized and placed into folders. Different lights and a cozy throw on the chair, gave the room a warm, inviting, and open feel. It was now a happy space, much different than it had been in the past. 

As Scully had sat working at the computer, preparing for her call, with Grey lying curled up in the chair, she heard a low rumble and looked up, holding her breath. She could hear the television playing softly in the living room when the first raindrop hit the window. Then another. And then another. 

Hearing a gasp from Mulder, she had smiled, knowing he would soon be coming into the room. Turning around and facing the door, she waited with her hands clasped in her lap. She heard him get up and then he had been there in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. 

“It’s raining,” he had said and she nodded, with her eyebrows raised. 

“I heard,” she had answered and he walked past her to open the door and look outside. She had watched him with a smile, until he came back to her and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. 

They had stood on the porch, watching as the rain began to build, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling in the distance. Shaking his head, he had grinned when it poured even harder. 

“She’s going to be so excited,” he had said and squeezed Scully’s hand as she had nodded with a smile. 

Faith’s eyes had been huge when she had come downstairs the next morning, her beloved boots in hand, and looked outside. The grass was wet, there were puddles in the driveway, and thick gray clouds remained hanging overhead. 

She would have run straight outside if Mulder had not insisted she eat her breakfast first. She had pouted, but this time it did not work on him as he had raised his eyebrows and pointed to the kitchen table. 

“That was so tough,” he had whispered to Scully, shaking his head as they had watched her sit at the table with a frown, her arms crossed. 

“She’ll get over it,” Scully had said with a scoff, shaking her own head. “You can’t _always_ be the fun parent.” Patting his arm, she had smiled and walked to the cupboard to get Faith her breakfast. 

Forty five minutes later, bellies full, they were dressed and ready to go. The coveted boots were on, along with her sky blue raincoat, even though it was warm and muggy out, despite the dark gray of the day. Her hair was in two braids to keep it from covering her face as the wind blew. 

“Will there be lots of puddles?” she had asked as Mulder clipped on Bella’s leash. 

“Gobs of them. Heaps. A plethora,” he had said with a grin. 

“What’s a plefora?” 

“A ple _th_ ora,” he had corrected her with a laugh. “It means a lot. Like a lot _a lot._ I’m sure your new boots will see plenty of mud and fun today.” 

“Yay!” she had cheered and he tweaked her nose with a laugh. 

“You adventurers have fun,” Scully had said, pulling Faith in for a hug. “Jump in as many puddles as you can, but please _don’t_ get dirty.” Faith had pulled back and stared at her, her brow furrowed. 

“Mama, we're gonna jump in _mud_ puddles. We can’t stay clean _and_ jump in puddles,” she had stated, touching Scully’s arm and shaking her head. “It would be inpossible.” 

“ _Im_ possible, my love. And you think so? Hmm…” Scully had pretended to think about it and then nodded her head. “You know what, I think you may be right.” 

“I am,” Faith had said seriously, nodding her head. “I really am, Mama.” 

“Okay,” Scully had said with a smile and a kiss to her forehead. “Have a wonderful time, my love, and I’ll see you when you get back, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

She had kissed Mulder and given Bella a pat, as they walked onto the porch and she watched them walk down the driveway. At the end of it, Faith had turned around and waved, yelling goodbye and that she loved her. Waving goodbye with a smile, Scully had gone inside, cleaning the kitchen quickly as she awaited her phone call. 

Now, the call was almost over, well, in about twenty minutes anyway. She sighed as she focused her attention on the call, inquiring after patients and taking notes to look up more information later. 

Grey came into the room just as the call was due to end, rubbing around her ankles under the desk, and purring loudly. Glancing down, Scully smiled at her as she looked up and meowed softly. Scully cleared her throat to cover the sound and tried to ignore her, but Grey would have none of it. She jumped up into her lap and laid down, rubbing her head against Scully’s hand, her purrs growing even louder. 

“You’re a stinker,” Scully said under breath, scratching at Grey’s ear, and shaking her head. Glancing back up at the computer screen, she smiled, her fingers running slowly through Grey’s soft fur. 

“So, I think that does it for today. I appreciate you all being here and sharing your expertise. We will be in touch in the next couple of days and if there are any questions, please feel free to get in touch with me or Doctor Reid,” Doctor Snyder said with a smile. “I thank you all for taking the time to share information.” 

Everyone said goodbye and logged off, and Scully sighed as she closed the laptop and leaned back. Grey purred and stood up, stretching her legs up onto Scully’s shoulder, rubbing her head against her chin. Scully chuckled, petting her back and scratching at her head. 

“You feeling lonely without Faith here to play with you? Needing some extra love?” she asked, closing her eyes and kissing Grey’s head. “Should we go see if they are heading back?” 

Standing up, she carried Grey out onto the porch, looking to see if her mud monsters were making their way back yet. Finding nothing but dark clouds, the smell of rain heavy in the air, she set Grey down on the porch railing. She pet her as Grey pressed into her hand and Scully looked further to the left and right, keeping her eyes out for them. 

“I guess they aren’t ready to come home yet, sweet Grey. Hopefully it will be soon because it’s definitely going to rain. Hard.” Looking up at the sky again, she shook her head. “I think I’ll get some lunch ready. You wanna stay out here or come inside?” 

She looked at Grey who stared back with her head tilted, but obviously did not answer. Scully smiled, petting her once more and stepping inside. As the door closed, she heard her meow and she turned around. 

“Well, say something next time, Miss Grey. I _did_ ask you, if you remember correctly,” she stated with a smile, opening the door to let her inside and she bounded in, heading to her scratching post

Walking to the kitchen, Scully took out items for lunch. She made sandwiches, cut vegetables and fruit, and set some yogurt aside. Everything was placed in the fridge, ready for their return, no doubt covered in mud and in need of a shower. 

Deciding on another cup of coffee, she made one and took it out onto the porch. Sitting down in the porch swing, she took a deep breath, breathing in the aroma of coffee as she closed her eyes. 

She heard a bark and opened her eyes. Looking to the left, she saw them at the end of the driveway and she smiled. She could hear Faith talking, but could not understand what she was saying. Mulder’s laughter floated on the wind and she smiled as she stood up, setting her cup on the railing. 

They opened the gate and walked inside, closing it behind them and at that moment, two things happened: she saw how truly muddy they _all_ were and the rain once again began to fall. 

Faith shrieked happily and started running toward the house. Bella barked, pulling on the leash and Mulder let it go, allowing her to chase after Faith, her tail wagging. He laughed again and Scully shook her head with a smile. 

“Mama! Mama! It’s raining again!” Faith shouted, pushing her hair out of her face, which had somehow had come free of her braids. “Look, it’s raining!” She put her arms out and spun around, her face up to the sky. 

Mulder caught up to them and took Bella’s leash off, tossing it up onto the porch. He shook his head at Scully and smiled, his clothes and face covered in mud. She shook her head again and laughed as she stared at them. 

“Did you _fall_ in a puddle?” she asked, seeing Bella’s black fur covered in mud and Faith’s clothes nearly devoid of color. 

“I’d say… that’s a rather fair assessment,” he laughed, the rain beginning to fall harder. He looked up at her and tilted his head, silently asking her to join them. 

Watching Faith spin around, knowing she had missed out on their fun adventure, she nodded and walked down the stairs, the rain cool as it hit her skin, despite the warmth of the day. 

“Mama!” Faith yelled and flung herself at Scully. “Isn’t the rain so beautiful?” Scully lifted her and laughed, smelling the mud she could not see; she was truly a mess. 

“Yes, my love, the rain is beautiful,” she answered, kissing behind her ear, possibly the only clean spot showing on her body. 

“We had so much fun! My boots are… out of this world!” Scully laughed and hugged her muddy girl even tighter. No doubt Mulder had said that to her and she was now parroting it back. 

Thunder rumbled as Mulder grabbed them both in a big hug and Faith squealed. Bella barked, jumping up in excitement, to see what was happening. They all laughed and played in the rain, until the lightning flashed close to them, and they went inside. 

Scully stripped Faith, leaving her filthy wet clothes on the porch. Taking off her own wet things, down to her undergarments, they made their way upstairs and into the shower, while Mulder stayed behind to straighten up and clean off Bella. 

Faith needed two washings before she was completely clean. After drying her off and putting on her robe, Scully stepped into the shower, washing quickly as Faith told her about their day. When she was finished, she put on her own robe, and ushered Faith into her room to get dressed. 

Coming back into their bedroom, Scully got dressed, and then brought Faith back into the bathroom to blow dry their hair. Mulder came into the bathroom, a towel around his waist and his hair damp, having showered downstairs. Scully looked over Faith’s head, her eyes traveling up and down his body, her thoughts definitely not child friendly. 

“Later, Miss Scully,” he all but growled, kissing her neck quickly, as he grabbed his hair gel. Her stomach fluttered and she knew that when Faith went down for a nap, they would be having some “adult time.” 

Once they were all dressed, brushed, and ready, they went downstairs. Bella was sound asleep on her bed, Grey sniffing at her curiously, before she ran to the top of her scratching post and began to clean herself, as though even the close proximity to Bella had been enough to soil her fur. 

Over lunch, she heard again how their day had gone. About the HUGE puddles and how the mud had been “so squidgy.” How Faith had lost a boot momentarily and then cried as she thought it was gone forever. 

“But Daddy got it for me, Mama. He saved the day, just like a superhero.” She looked at Mulder and he struck a superhero pose, causing both of them to giggle. 

“So, was it worth waiting for it to rain? Was it enough puddles for you, Miss Faith?” Scully asked with a smile. “Did your boots get dirty enough?” Mulder scoffed and nodded. 

“They were _very_ dirty, full of mud all the way through. How did you even wear those home, Faithy my love? Did you have pruney toes when you took a shower?” He reached for her foot, tickling her toes, and she laughed. 

“It was muddy, but not as bad as Daddy’s. His shoes made squeaky sounds when we walked, Mama!” She giggled again and Scully looked at Mulder for confirmation and he nodded. 

“Squidgy, squishy shoes. I definitely had pruney toes.” He winked at them and Faith laughed, getting up from her seat, and climbing into his lap. 

“I had so much fun with you, Daddy, and I’m happy I got to wear my new boots.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and he hugged her tightly, patting her bottom as he smiled happily at Scully. 

“I had fun with you too, Squatchy. I’m glad Mama bought you those new boots because they are…” He pulled back and looked at her expectantly. She smiled and held his face in her hands. 

“Out of this world!” They said together and Scully laughed, as he hugged Faith again, laughing as he stroked her hair. He whispered something into her ear and she nodded. 

Climbing down from his lap, she came over to Scully and got into hers, wrapping her arms around her neck. Scully held her close and closed her eyes. 

“Thank you for my boots, Mama. I love them,” Faith whispered and Scully hummed. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’m glad you had fun with Daddy. Maybe if it keeps raining, we can _all_ go out tomorrow.” 

“You don’t have to help anybody tomorrow?” Faith asked as she pulled back to look at Scully. 

“Nope,” Scully answered, shaking her head with a smile. “Not tomorrow. I’m free as a bird.” 

“Yay!” she said, throwing her arms around her neck again. Scully hugged her close, smiling as she looked at Mulder and he winked at her. 

As she held her, she thanked God once more for the second chance they had been given, and the little things they got to celebrate and experience. 

Like the excitement over new rain boots, and coming home covered in mud from the puddles that had been jumped in, after waiting so patiently for it to finally rain. 


End file.
